Clearly a black ale with deep brown body, plenty of light goes through the pour so no fears of over doing the “black” part. A 2-3 inch head explodes to the top only to subside to the absurdly high abv. Lacing is left though perhaps a bit less impressive than it could be given the explosive head and the tendency for big double IPA’s to leave sticky lacing everywhere. This one is taking on some good wood notes that I think I’ve missed in other stone beers, but this reminds me a bit of life and limb in that respect only with hops upon hops!
Just while pouring the ripe fruity hops and subtle roasted malt characteristics blast from the glass exciting my every sense. I have things to do but this beer has just forced itself on me and my agenda.
Opens with an exciting ripe fruity hop glory to open but quickly shifting to a strong and powerful burnt chocolate malt. The second drink yields far more hop qualities as they refuse to be over powered by the malt. We have, pine, grape fruit, wood, chocolate, coffee, hop resin, and booze all mingling amazingly well together.
This is a boozy bastard and the booze is honestly perfectly bringing everything together! Thick, creamy, well carbonated, and just overly decadent.
We so often are disappointed by those things we hype up in our head. Those ultra-rare bottles (when not reviewed by obsessive snobs) so often simply disappoint because the expectations are just so absurdly high. This beer delivers 100x over for me. It is in many ways what I recall Stone 11 as being. I’m sorry but their recreation just hasn’t had that absurdly fresh hop attack and maybe that’s because it isn’t as fresh. I’m not sure, but I can state without a doubt this is amazing beer. Stone 12 and 13 for what they were are two of my favorite beers the brewer has ever done. 12 for the amazingly if not perfectly balanced chocolate stout and 13 for being the hoppiest beer I’ve ever had without turning into an undrinkable mess. This like the 13 is just amazingly bitter, over powering and sinfully delightful!

Poured into a snifter after warming a while on the counter. Viscous black body topped with a light cover of beige-coloured head. Some lacing.

This was bottled about four months ago so I was expecting a possibly muted hop aroma; Stone must have hopped this to hell because the nose is still exploding with hops. Huge tropical notes with lots of lychee and guava, big caramel underneath with light chocolate and roast. This smells fantastic.

In my experience with Stone balance is not something I'm anticipating but this beer is just about perfectly balanced (I hope it wouldn't offend them for me to say that!). Insane smoothness for the ABV, probably the smoothest alcohol presence I've ever experienced at this percentage (I'd believe this was 6.5%). Lots of grapefruit but not overly bitter like I've found in most other beers from this brewery. Light chocolate, moderate roast and a good level of caramel sweetness to balance it out. I wouldn't really want to change a thing flavour-wise.

The feel is pretty much right on; not too thick or too thin. Right in the middle with medium-light carbonation.

I have to say that this beer is seriously underrated here on BA. As an imperial black IPA this is more or less perfect. I could drink this every day. This is definitely an appropriate beer to offer as an anniversary edition and the first by Stone to leave me totally impressed.

The smell is citrus and very floral with just a touch of tingy alcohol.

The taste is bitter but the hop character is fairly sweet and lots of citrus and tropical fruits. A slight roast but nothing to right home about just enough to lend balance. Also it is amazing how little alcohol is detectable for 10%.

A vigorous pour yields a one-finger tan head that settles nicely and all but disappears by the end of the glass.

Putting my nose to the glass I am immediately overwhelmed by the scent of fresh hop and grainy dark malt, with coffee and dark chocolate notes in the finish. If you have ever brewed beer before, you would liken the nose to the scent of the first hop addition during the boil. It's just that fresh. I am honestly more impressed with this smell than I have ever been with a beer.

The taste that follows is absolutely masterful. Tons of fresh hop flavor, roasty dark malt, coffee, chocolate, and exceptionally well-balanced bitterness rounds out the flavor. Offsetting the high IBU count is a delicate sweetness that is a welcome and refreshing resolution to the bold, crisp bitter dark malt and hop flavor. I am often dubious of the black IPA in general, but Stone does it correctly here.

Mouthfeel is medium to heavy, creamy, slick; expected but admittedly a little thick for my tastes. If this were a sweet stout it would be absolutely perfect.

What a triumph this beer is. While I would count myself a casual fan of Stone brews I am often blown away by their seasonals and one-offs, and 15th Anniversary is yet another addition to the line-up. Kudos to Stone for celebrating its 15th year in business with such a tremendous brew.

T: Stone defiantly delivers on the hops. Right off the bat your hit with bold hops, followed by creamy sweet malt. Grapefruit is also present. It gives off a smokey feel/taste. At first, I didn't get the dark chocolate and toffee, but give it some more sips and it comes out wonderfully.

22oz bottle. Unfamiliar with Stone Brewing offerings, The color density was correct to style - the kind of astronomical dark matter that hides starlight and in which the subsequent exploration of one hopes to discover hidden wonders of the universe...or at least a pleasureable surprise. I was expecting a nominal "black" lagerish lightweight with just enough hop sting to qualify as an IPA. What the Stone Brewers delivered was MUCH MORE pleasureable. As a lover of thick creamy stouts and dark mysterious porters I was shocked to find this could ante itself up into a game of those styles. This is not a beer of accents but of balance. Nicely done! Feast upon this brew and enjoy the very long and very lingering espressoist afterglow.

A & S: smell hops: dank piney and citrusy hops. Malts: Sweet and roasty malts. Also a bit of woody tones in this one, even though I don’t think it barrel aged. Smell is very powerful after uncapping but dies at a high rate. Pours about 1 and a half fingers of foamy light brown head. Inky black. Great lacing and the bubbles have an interesting cling to glass as well. Head falls till about a quarter fingernail of a head is left on top this amount is retained.

T & M: Very rich and robust. More smokey in the taste then in the nose. Other major tastes include dark chocolate, piney hops, roasted malts, and citrus. Great after taste: super piney and bitter, semi dry. A bit boozy in the breath out. Full bodied, moderately low carbonation (right were you want the mouthfeel at for the style)

O: this beer was great idk what to say it was perfect for the style. Very powerful beer I would recommend sharing this bottle with a beer friend.

22oz bomber that I accidentally forgot about in the back of the fridge

A - Black coffee with a thin layer of toffee brown head

S - Roasted notes with some small citrus

T - Numbing alcohol up front, but taste of it is well hidden. intense bitter chocolate and roasted coffee. Also a bittering hop comes through on the back end

M - Intense and def a full bodied sipper. Leaves a nice coating in the mouth

O - Intense to say the least. Because of the age on this one it comes across as much more of a RIS than IPA, but the bitterness is still there and it is still great stuff. Sad I can't try it fresh again to do a side to side with age

N: Smells like a Stone IPA with strong notes of diacetyl and booze. Stone IPA's have a trademark pine scent, which is all over the place.

T: This was completely unexpected. The citrusy, piny, hop notes are there, but buttery, boozy flavors really dominate the palate. The diacetyls are really strong, but they're almost neutralized by the alcohol. It's almost 'truffle-y'. Lemony citrus and sharp pine poke through mid-sip, along with some bready tones reminding of squaw. Finishes bitter and boozy.

M: Oily as hell. The diacetyl is no joke. I'm going out for a pint of this tomorrow, will have to verify that this was normal.

And I assume so because this is completely delicious, I've just never tasted anything like it. Stone IPA was my gateway drug to craft beer, but recently they've put more energy into expansion and distribution rather than out-of-the-box brewing. I've been waiting, hoping, for them to come up with something amazing like this. You can taste a little Runination and Arrogant Bastard, but this is a brew all to itself.

A: Pours black and opaque. A tan head a little less than a finger appears and dissipates quickly. Lacing clings to the glass as I drink.

S: First impression on the nose: hop bomb! After the hops you definitely some of that roasted malt goodness. Smells great!

T: Tastes awesome, hop bomb up front, roasty in the middle and hop bitter in the back. Well balanced. For a 10%+ abv beer you don't get much alcohol burn at all. So Good!

M: Good body with just the right amount of carbonation. Not too heavy, lively on the tongue but finishes so smooth.

O: Seem like I'm gushing a bit? Yea, I am. This beer is most certainly my favorite for the style. Stone does not disappoint at all with this offering. With Sublimely Self-Righteous as the wingman to this beer its easy to say that Stone has the American Black Ale/Black IPS down to a science. Well played Stone, well played.

Appearance - Poured this one into a regular pint glass and what I got was quite a large 3 finger high, creamy looking, espresso colored head that leaves some nice sticky lacing around the glass as it fades down. Color of the beer pretty dark black.

Smell - Aroma is a mix between some pretty bright citrus, piney, resinous hops and roasted malts, slight dark chocolate, cocoa, and maybe a bit of coffee. At first I thought it was a bit like Sublimely, but as I smell it more, it's really its own kind of thing. Hoppier than Sublimely. I can't really tell you which one I prefer more, and I really like Sublimely. I love the mix of bright hops and smooth roasted malts/chocolate/etc.

Taste - Taste is really nice and much like the nose. A nice combination of citrus and piney/resinous hops (actually quite like an IPA), decent (but not too much) hop bitterness, roasted malts, dark chocolate, and cocoa. This is brighter and hoppier than I remember Sublimely being. It's almost closer to a hoppy stout than an American Black Ale, but I really like the combo.

Mouthfeel - Feel is really smooth and creamy. Cosistency is insanely smooth, carbonation is light-moderate and creamy, body is medium, and the finish is a little lingering but not in a bad way. It finishes with a nice note of bitterness, hops, and smooth roasted malts and chocolate flavors.

Overall - At first I wasn't sure if I could choose a favorite between this and Sublimely, but after finishing the second half of the bottle, I think I actually prefer this to Sublimely. That's really bold statement as some friends of mine will tell you I love Sublimely. I don't know what it is but the combination of the wonderful hoppiness and the roasted malt and chocolate qualities just works wonders for me...and Stone is just the best at it in my opinion. I highly doubt with Sublimely as a year-round beer, that they would turn this into one also, but I would be extatic if they did! At the very least, I'm going to have to go buy at least another 4 or 5 bottles of this. That's how much I love this beer!

Oh dear lord, this is the blackest black IPA I've ever seen. Huge mocha head, great retention. Aroma is a nice balance between huge hops and huge malts. The taste is superb. This is everything I could ever want out of the style. Huge, piney hops on the forefront, with a nice roasted backbone. There's a bit of woodiness to it too, along with tons of grapefruit. Some nice cocoa come in on the backend with a huge hop tingle.

The mouthfeel is very nice, it's quite a creamy brew, and goes down easily. Drinkability? Fugettabowdit. This drinks as easily as a 6.5% IPA. Except it's pushing 11%. Overall, this has to easily be the best black IPA I've had, and is very close to perfecting a fledgling style. Of course, the best black IPA I've had beforehand was Sublimely Self-Righteous. Just leave this style to Stone, please.

A: pours a thick and deep black with half an inch of dense tan head. No light is getting though this beer
S: Bitter hops on the nose with scents of sweet citrus, a bit of pine, and some herbal notes. Not much in the way of malt but there is just a bit of roastiness and chocolate smell once the hops subside
T: Burnt sugar toward the front with a bit of roast malt flavor. hops battle back the malt with some pine bitterness and a kiss of citrus, huge oily hop flavor on the swallow leaves the mouth coated and a bit drying as well. A bit of sweetness hits at the end as well to deliver some balance
M: Very thick and creamy, very stout like and moderate carbonation. a full bodied beer the whole way
O: I must say that this beer is very impressive and it will be a pleasure to drink.

Stopped by last weekend at Killarney's in Riverside Ca for some lunch. I started out the afternoon with a Racer 5 but had my meal with the Stone 15th Anniversary Ale and I must say, this is one of the most exciting beers I've had so far this year.

It was served in a New Belgium Globe Glass which I was kinda upset about but it got the job done.

Poured very dark like motor oil with a dark brown head.

Smelled of Pine, coffee, and chocolate.

Taste was amazing! Hoppy up front, but finishes like a Stout. At 10.80% ABV its very drinkable.

It went very well with the Adult Grilled Cheese and the side of Curry Fries I had. I would love to see this on nitro.

Smell: From the bottle: cutting grapefruit in a greenhouse. In the glass: Potent citrus, pine, and general damp forest freshness. Bit of sweet malt underneath, but not much getting past these huge hops. I didn't know what late boil Citra additions or Nelson Sauvin and Pacific Jade dry hopping would do (never even heard of Pacific Jade), but the answer is apparently: big fucking hop aroma. This thing is more pungent than most top DIPAs, and intoxicating and satisfying enough for the price of admission all on its own.

With time, more cookie and marzipan malt notes come out, and mindbendingly seem to show similarities with the dank pine, citrus, and marijuana hops. Really don't see how a black IPA is supposed to smell better than this one does.

Taste: Beautiful hops, identical to the nose but somehow blending perfectly with the cookies and roasted flavors underneath. Starts with straight, pungent hops, then melds naturally (!?) to cookie dough and roast, finishing pricklingly bitter with a roasted and boozy aftertaste (some bitterness lingers on the tongue as well).

After just the first sip, I'm stunned by how well thought out this beer is. It takes skill and knowledge to deliver hop flavor this good, but to somehow prove that it matches with malt flavors this far on the side of decadent/dessert-- that takes genius.

Further into the glass, the heavy, oily but refreshing and bright hops just refuse to quit. If you've come to this beer for your hop fix, you're going to get it and then some. The malt is quieter than the hops, but it grows in complexity; dark chocolate, coffee, and more cookies come with warmth and time.

I'm only keeping this from a 5 because it's perhaps a bit too bitter (trying to be objective--the heavy bitterness is just right for me, but it's pretty aggressive), and I think the malt could be just a bit more prominent.

Overall: Easy 5.0 from me... not only is this delicious, but it's one of those educational beers (like great food) that expands your conceptions of where certain flavors can go and how well they can work in different contexts. It also has awakened my inner hop head (I usually swing toward malt bombs), reminding me that I can't get enough of any beer that can skillfully turn the hop flavor up to eleven.

I've mentioned in several reviews that I think Stone is the best brewery in the world at taking extremely bold flavors and putting them in balance. This beer continues the trend, and stands as a very fitting 15th anniversary beer. I will be buying and drinking as many bottles of this as I can before this amazing hop flavor fades.

Excited to run across this tonight at Stoney's Liquors on 10th Street and Emerson Ave. Indianapolis.

I've been wanting to try a black IPA -- I had my doubts whether the style would make any sense to me. That said, the closest thing I could imagine that I remember having was FFF Alpha Klaus, a super hoppy porter -- a past favorite.

Smell is not huge, but interesting: medicinal, cocoa, cinnamon. Slight alcohol vapor that goes well with the pleasant health-tonic nature of the thing.

Massive herbal onslaught enlivens the body, stimulates the senses, detoxifies the liver, cures depression! Burnt malts stay very dry indeed.. nothing here in the way of the swampy and slightly citric hops. It may not be perfectly balanced, at least at this fresh stage, but that distracts not from this beer. Totally unique. Alpha Klaus was not nearly as strange or intense as this beast, or as LOUD!

When cooler this beer's attack on the palate is somewhat diminished and delayed -- I enjoyed it at the full range of temperature from cold to almost room temp. Mouthfeel is oily, creamy, slightly astringent but not boozy.

I have not been this impressed with a beer for years. I feel lucky to get to try it right off the truck. I plan to buy many more while I can, maybe even attempt to age one. NOT to be missed.

A - Thick & black like melted chocolate with a deep brown 2.5 finger head. Good retention on the head and nice lacing all the way down.

S - Very hoppy with hints of grapefruit and nectarines.

T - Instant hit of Coffee, Citrus, biscuits and chocolate. Lots of chocolate, especially in the aftertaste, mixed with a bif molasses character that is fan-freaking-tastic. The malts are very very well balanced with the hops, making it malty for an IPA, but a rather perfect blend for this brew. There's a little alcohol heat on the back end but it blends well with the chocolaty flavors in this beer.

M - A bit dry & chalky, but not bad. This beer is pretty thick & viscous for the style. Carbonated as usual from Stone.

O - This is a great brew for the 15th Anniv. of Stone. The chocolate overtones really make this beer different from their other offerings, and it is well balanced with the hops. I really enjoyed this one.

Poured from a bomber into my Stone 15th Ann tulip. Also had on-tap at the Stone brewery.

A - Pours a beautiful jet black color, no light at all can be seen through this one. 1 finger light brown head fades leaving some spotty lacing.

S - The smells are so agressive, bitter, citric, hoppy and earthy. It smells so complex and inviting!

T/M - Rich and hoppy all in the same sip. Very pleasing bitter hop aftertaste left on my pallete. The kind that makes your tongue, and back corners of your mouth water. Great medium/heavy mouthfeel. Almost tongue coating, but the descent amount of carbonation balances it out.

O - What an amazing beer! I've had this one on tap straight from the brewery, and I've had it in the bomber and the flavor profile is right on either way. A big beer, as it should be. The best of both worlds; dark & hoppy

A- Pours very dark black almost cant see through it into my snifter. body is just as black and has a 1 finger light broen head with moderate retention. not too much lacing left on the glass after a swirl.

T- nice citrus upfront that will satisfy any hop head. grapefruit and citrus dominate all around with a nice dark malt roast comming up behind. Like David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar, this is the best of both worlds. almost a pineapple hop taste like a galaxy hop. as far as ABA or BIPA's, this is a diverse taste.

M- medium mouthfeel that feels thicker than it seems. nice feel. great amount of carbonation that isnt too descriptive, but it is what is...

O- This is awesome.. Like any hoppy beer, get it while its fesh. Top notch ABA or BIPA whatever the fugg you want to call it.. But it, drink it enjoy it because this is almost flawless.

S: smell is very intruiging. Very hoppy but also strong sweet malty smell.

T: extmely malty, sweet and toasty malts. In addition as expected fairly hoppy but a great balance between hops and malts!

M: flavor combination of sweet malts and bitter hops make this a great beer to enjoy.

Overall, this beer is incredible. The mix between the bitterness from the hops and the sweetness from the malts makes this a fantastic black ipa. Strongly recommend to anyone looking for a quality black ipa!